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V 7 THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. RALEIGH, N. C JANUARY 7, 1890. No. 47 Vol. 4. ; . X ' -3 i - z i ft 1 -the NATIONAL FARMERS' AL LIANCE AND INDUSTRIAL UNION. President -L. L. Polk, Raleigh, N. C. Vice-President B. H. Clover, Cain- bngSeSy. H. Turner, La GraDge, Surer W. H. Hickman, Puxico, Lecturer-Ben Terrell, Texas. EXECUTIVE BOARD. n VT Macune, Washington, D. C. Ajonzo Wardell, Huron, South Dakota, j F. Tillman, Palmetto, Tennessee. judiciary. B C. Patty, Macon, Mississippi. Isaac McCracken, Ozone, Arkansas. Evan Jones, Dublin, Texas. 30ET2 CASOLIXA FARMERS STATS ALLIANCE. president Elias Carr, Old Sparta, N".C. Vice-President A. TLj Hayes, Bird town, -N". C. Secretary L. L. Polk, Raleigh, N. C. Treasurer J. D. Allen, Falls, N. C. Lecturer Thos. B. Long, Longs, N. C. Assistant Lecturer R. B. Hunter, Char lotte, N. C. Chaplain J. J. Scott, Alfordsville, N.C. Door Keeper W. H. Tomlinson, Fay etteville, N. C. Assistant Door Keeper H. E. King, Peanut, N. C. Sergeant-at-Arms J. S. Holt, Chalk Level, N. C. State Business Agent W. H. Worth, Ealeigh, N. C. Trustee Business Agency Fund W. A. Graham, Machpelah, N. C. IXICUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE NORTH CARO LINA FARMERS' STATE ALLIANCE. S. B. Alexander, Chariot e, N. C, Chair nan; J. M. Mewborne, Kinston N. C; J. S. Johnston, Ruffin, N. C. PROCEEDINGS Of the Annual Session of the Farmers' and Laborers' Union. FOURTH DAY. St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 7, 1889. Meeting called to order at 8:30 a. m., President Jones in the chair. Minutes of third day's session read and approved. Committee on constitution reported amendments, which were taken up by sections, discussed and passed, then adopted as a whole, as follows: CONSTITUTION. DECLARATION OF PURPOSES. Whereas, The general condition of our country imperatively demands unity of action on the part of the laboring classes, reformation in econ omy, and the dissemination of princi ples best calculated to encourage and foster agricultural and mechanical pursuits, encouraging the toiling masses leading them in the road to prosperity and providing a just and fair remuneration for labor, a just ex change for our commodities and the best means of securing to the labor ing classes the greatest amount ef good; we hold to the principle that all monopolies are dangerous to the best interests of our country, tending to en slave a free people and subvert and finally overthrow the great principles purchased to the fathers of American liberty. We therefore adopt the fol lowing as our declaration of prin ciples: 1. To labor for the education of the agricultural classes in the science of economical government, in a strict ly non-partisan spirit, and to bring about a more perfect union of said classes. 2. That we demand equal rights to all and special favors to none. 3. To indorse the motto " In things essential, unity; and in all things, charity." 4. To develop a better state men tally, morally, socially and financially. 5. To constantly strive to secure en tire harmony and good will to all mankind and brotherly love among ourselves. 6. To suppress personal, local, sec tional and national prejudices; all un healthful rivalry and all selfish ambi tion. 7. The brightest jewels which it garners are the tears of the widows and orphans, and its imperative com mands are to visit the homes where lacerated hearts are bleeding; to as suage the sufferings of a brother or sister; bury the dead, care for the widows and educate the orphans; to exercise charity toward offenders; to construe words and deeds in their most favorable light, granting honesty of purpose and good intentions to others, and to protect the principles of the Farmers' Alliance and Indus trial Union until death. Its laws are reason and equity, its cardinal doctrines inspire purity of thought - i and life, its intention is, " On earth, peace, and good will to man." ARTICLE I. NAME AND POWERS. Sec. 1. This organization shall be known as the National Farmers' Alli ance and Industrial Union. Sec. 2 This organization possesses and shall exercise such powers as are delegated to it by charter from the Government of the United States, and such further powers as are herein expressed. ARTICLE II. DIVISION OF POWERS. Sec. 1 . The powers of this organi zation shall be divided into three branches, to wit: A legislative, an executive and a judicial department. Sec. 2. The legislative department shall be supreme in authority, and its sessions shall be known as the Su preme Council of the order." Sec. 3. The executive and judicial departments shall be of equal power and authority, and subordinate only to the legislative. ARTICLE III. MEETINGS. Sec. 1. The regular annual meeting of the supreme council shall be on the first Tuesday of December of each year, and at such place as may be de termined by majority vote of the body. ARTICLE IV. LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT. Sec. 1. It shall be the duty of the legislative department to make laws, rules and regulations governing its meetings and usages. Sec. 2. The supreme council shall be composed of the officers of the organization and delegates from the various State organizations elected by the States upon such basis of rep resentation as the supreme council may prescribe. It shall be the duty of the supreme council to adopt rules governing such representation: Pro vided, That the delegates to the supreme council shall be not less than twenty -one years of age; and the basis of representation shall not allow more than two delegates from each State and one additional delegate for each 19,000 active members or majority fraction thereof. Active members under this section are such members only as have paid the regular yearly dues of five cents each. Sec. 3. The supreme council shall elect at each regular annual session the following officers, who shall hold office until their successors are elected and qualified: A president, a vice president, a lecturer, a secretary, and a treasurer. 4. The president shall be presiding officer of the supreme council and the official head of the executive de partment. Sec. 5. The snpreme council shall provide laws and rules prescribing the powers, duties and methods of the officers, and may limit the term of office, fix salaries, etc. ARTICLE V. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT. Sec. 1. The president shall be the chief executive officer; he shall have power to direct and instruct all exe cutive officers and all executive work in this department subject to the laws and regulations made by the supreme council. Sec. 2.. The president shall have authority to interpret and construe the meaning of the laws of the order by official rulings, and such rulings shall have the force and effect of laws and be promptly presented to the ju diciary department for consideration, and if the judiciary approve the rul ing it shall then be the final construc tion of the law; but should the judi ciary refuse to concur in a ruling, then and in that case such ruling shall be held in abeyance until the next meeting of the supreme council, which shall decide the matter. Sec. 3. The president shall be the custodian of the secret work, and shall provide for its exemplification and dissemination. He shall be authorized to issue special dispensations and held responsible for the same, all of which shall be matters of record. ARTICLE VI. JUDICIARY. Section 1. The judiciary depart ment shall be composed of three judges, one of whom shall after the first year be elected annually by the supreme council. Three judges shall be elected the first year, one of whom shall be for a term of one year, one for two, and one for three. Sec. 2. The regular term of office for the judges of the judiciary de partment shall ba three years. Sec. 3. No person shall be eligible t office as jtidge in the judiciary de partment who is under thirty years of age. Sec. 4. Th senior judge shall be called the chairman, and shall be the presiding officer of the court. Sec. 5. The judiciary shall have authority to act upon the rulings of the president; to try and decide grievances and appeals - affecting the officers or members of the supreme council; to try appeals from the State bodies. Sec- 6. The decisions and findings of the supreme judiciary shall be a matter of record, and shall be pre served in the archives of the order, a careful report of which shall be made to the regular annual session of the supreme council. Sec. 7. For the purpose of carry ing out the above provisions and ren dering the working of the judiciary department effective, the supreme council shall provide rules and regu lations. ARTICLE VII. Section 1 . The supreme council shall fix such salaries for officers as may be a fair remuneration for services re quired, and for such expenditures of the various departments as may be consistent with strict economy. Sec. 2. A per capita tax of five cents shall be paid for. each male member into the national treasury by each State organization on or beiore the, first day of NoTember of each year. Sec. 3. The supreme council shall at each session fix the mileage and per diem to be paid the actual delegates to the body, subject to a limitation of not over three cents per mile each way by the nearest and most direct traveled route, and not over three dollars per day for such days as are spent in actual attendance at the session. ARTICLE VIII. Sec. 1. No person shall ba admitted as a member of this order except a white person, over sixteen years oi age, a believer in the existence of a Supreme Being, has resided in the State more than six months, and is either: First, a farmer or a farm laborer; second, a mechanic, a country preacher, a country school teacher, or a country doctor; third, an editor of a strictly agricultural paper. Provided, That each State and Ter ritory shall have the right to prescribe the eligibility of applicants for mem bership in reference to color, within the limits of the same. Provided further, That none but white men shall be elected as delegates to the supreme council. Sec. 2. It shall be the duty of the supreme council to enact a uniform eligibility clause for the various State constitutions, also to enact laws defin ing the eligibility of persons of mixed or unusual occupations or residence, subject to all the limitations of this article. ARTICLE IX.- STATE BODIES. Section 1. A State organization may be chartered by the president in any State having as many as seven county organizations, provided that any State containing less than seven counties may be chartered when one third of its territory is organized. Sec. 2. It shall be the duty of the president to issue a charter to any State organization qualified under section one of this article, when they shall file evidence that they have, first, adopted a constitution that does not conflict with this constitution; second, that they adopt the secret work and acknowledge the supremacy of the National Farmers' AJliance and In dustrial Union. ARTICLE X. RESERVATION OF POWERS. Section 1. All rights and powers not herein expressly delegated are re served to the State organizations severally. ARTICLE XL AMENDMENTS. Section 1. This constitution cannot be altered or amended, except upon a written resolution -clearly setting forth the changes or additions to be made, which must be read in open ses sion on at least two separate days and adopted by two-thirds majority. The statutory laws were taken up, and after discussion and amendment, wero adopted, as follows: STATUTORY LAWS. Section 1. The basis of representa tion of the State organizations in the Supreme Council shall be as follows: Two delegatesfrom each State and one additional delegate for each twenty thousand active members or majority fraction thereof. Sec. 2. Delegates to the Supreme Council will not be entitled to seats in the body unless settlement of the national per capita dues of 5 cents for each male member has been made by the State Secretary, accompanied by the proper amount of money to the National Secretary, and State Secre taries shall make such remittance and report promptly on or before the first day of November. . . . ' Section 3. The annual election of officers "by the Supreme Council shall be by ballot. Sec. 4. The President shall appoint from the actual delegates to the session of the Supreme Council, a chaplain, assistant lecturer, doorkeeper, assist ant door-keeper, sergeant-at-arms, and such .other executive officers as the business of the session may require. The term of office for such officers shall expire at the close of the session; such appointed officers to receive noth ing in addition to mileage and per diem as delegates. Sec. 5. The President shall be the presiding officer of the Supreme Coun cil and shall conduct the business ac cording to the accepted rules of par liamentary usages and the require ments of the ritual. Sec. 6. The President shall have authority to 'call upon any executive officer or committee to make reports and showing of the business entrusted to him at such time as in his judgment it seems best. Sec. 7. The President may, when notified of any deriliction of duty or violation of the rules of the order sus pend any officer or committee and summon them to appear before the judiciary committee to make showing to the chairman either by oral or writ ten evidence as to their guilt or inno cence of the charges. Sec. 8. The President shall have full authority to enforce order and de corum during the sessions of the Su preme Council. Sec. 9. The President shall have power to call a meeting of the Supreme Counc:- at such time and place as in his judgment is for the good of the order. When petitioned by one-fourth of the State presidents in the jurisdic tion of this order, he shall call a meet ing of the Supreme Council. He shall state in the call specifically for what purpose the meeting is convened. Sec. 10. The Vice-President's duties shall be to assist the President, and in his absence to perform his duty. Sec. 11. The order of succession in vacancy shall be president to vice president and vice president to chair man of the executive board. Sec, 12. The secretary's duty shall be to keep a record of the proceedings of the Supreme Council, conduct its correspondence, to receive all money of the Farmers' Alliance and Indus trial Union and pny it over to the treasurer and take his receipt for the same, to read all communications, re ports and petitions in open Supreme Council when necessary, to affix the seal of the Farmers' AJliance and In dustrial Union to all documents re quiring the same, to prepare tor pub lication a copy of the proceedings of each annual or called session imme dirtely after adjournment. He shall have charge of the seal, books and papers of the Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union. His books shall at all times be open to the inspection of the President or any committee ap pointed by the President to inspect the same, to keep a correct account between each State and the Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union. He shall furnish the secretaries of each State Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union with a blank book properly ruled, with suitable column heads for classifying and recording the contents of the reports from the Farmers' Alli ance and Industrial Union. Also suitable blanks for making reports to his office and to the chairman of the executive committee. He shall also make a list of all the officers, standing and special committees of the Supreme Council, with name and postoffice ad dress, which list shall be a part of the printed proceedings of the S upreme Council. Sec. 13. The treasurer's duty shall be to receive all money from the secretary, and pay it out on a warrant from the secretary approved by the President. He shall file with the secretary a bond for double the amount of money that is likely to pass through his hands. Sec. 14. It shall be the duty of the lecturer to visit each State in the jur isdiction at least once a year and hold himself in readiness at all times to visit such localities and perform such duties as may be designated by the President. Sec. 15. There shall be elected by the Supreme Council an executive board composed of three members, who shall be an advisory board of the President, and shall represent thf; Supreme Coun cil during recess. The chairman of the executive board shall be located at the headquarters of the order in the city of Washington, and be ex-officib- chairman of the legislative committee. Sec. 16. It shall be the duty of the executive board to require and pass upon the bonds of secretary and treas urer, to audit all bills and accounts, to examine and audit the secretary and treasurer's books, and in a general way perform detail of executive work. Sec. 17. The secretary of the execu tive board shall be the crop statistician of the entire order, and shall make such crop reports to the President as he may require. , ' Sec. 18. Each State body in this jur isdiction is requested to select and re port, by the first day of January, a State crop statistician, who- shall re quire such reports froaa county statis ticians and make such reports himself as may be required by the secretary of the executive board. Sec. 19. The regular term of office for members of the executive board shall be three years, but of the board first elected one shall be for one year, one for two years and one for three years, and thereafter one shall be elected each year. Sec. 20. The eligibility clause of the constitution is hereby declared to apply to persons of the following classe and conditions as herein expressed : Per sons engaged in fatming, who Jive upon their farms and whose greatest interest is that of farming, may be ad mitted and retained as members, even though they conduct a small mercan tile establishment located upon the farm, which receives the support and indorsement of the nearest sub-union, and be controlled by an executive board of sub unions. Farmers, in fact, who are personally engaged in farming shall not be debarred from membership, even though they may own stock in a banking or other cor poration as a means of investment, but in no wise devote their personal at tention to the business of such cor poration; provided that the bank stock owned shall not exceed more than one fifth of agricultural investment. Persons selected to buy and sell as agents of the order are eligible, but persons engaged in the practice of law, banking, insurance, railroading, manufacturing, speculating, merchan dising, brokerage or commission are not eligible. Merchandising under this section shall mean such persons as give their personal attention to mercantile pursuits as a means of profit and leading source of revenue, as distinguished from those who con duct stores on the farm for the bene fit of those in the neighborhood, and controlled by a board of the order. Land agents, canvassers and all kinds of solicitors for machinery or com modities, or purchasers of farm pro duce for speculative purposes are in eligible. Sec. 21. All persons who are ineligible for membership who make application should be notified of the facts in the case, and no ballot or action taken. When members of the order engage in an occupation that would have ren dered them ineligible before initiation, they shall upon sufficient evidence be immediately dismissed by motion of the President in open lodge, and shall be granted a wiiiidrawal card. Sec. 22. EachSupreme Council shall when convened fix the mileage and per diem of its members, subject to the restrictions of the constitution. Sec. 23. The salary of the President of this organization shall be $3,000, office expenses and $900 for a stenog rapher, with headquarters at Wash ington, D. C, and traveling expenses. Sec. 24. The salary of the Secretary shall be $2,000 and office expenses. Sec. 25. The salary of the Treasurer shall be $500. Sec.26.THe salary of theLecturer shall be $3,000 and actual traveling ex penses. Sec 27. The salary of the chairman of the executive board shall be $2,000. Sec 28. The salary of members of the executive board shall be $500 each, and actual expenses while in actual service. Sec. 2 9. No State organization or mem ber of this order shall under any cir cumstances be allowed to print or dis tribute the rituals of the order, except as the executive board shall cause them to be, and they shall be dis tributed as the President may direct. Sec. 30. All charters for State, county or subordinate bodies in unorganized States must emanate from and contain the signature of the national President, and those for bodies under State jur isdiction shall be issued by the presi dent and secretary of the State body having jurisdiction over them. Sec. 31. It shall be the duty of the ex ecutive board to secure from each of the States copies of their forms oi reporting from sub, county and State secretaries, and endeavor to secure a uniform system of quarterly reports throughout the entire order. Sec. 32. All resolutions that shall be adopted by this National Council shall be laws governing the membership 61 the order, and shall be codified and added to the existing laws of the order. Convention called to order at 1 :30 p. m. On motion the convention proceeded to the election of officers, with the fol lowing result: L. L. Polk, of ISTorth Carolina, was elected president. B. H. Clover, of Kansas, vice president. J. H. Turner, of Georgia, secre tary. H. W. Hickman, of Missouri, treas urer. Ben. Terrell, of Texas, lecturer. On motion a committee from the Northwestern Alliance was received, and considerable time given, to a con ference with this body. Brother Polk was asked to take the chair to receive the committee. . Adjourned to meet at 7:30 p. m. Convention called to order at 7:30" p. m., President L. L. Polk in the chair. On motion the body proceeded with the completion of the organization. The election of three judges resulted as follows: R. C. Patty, of Mississippi, for a term of three years. Isaac McCracken,. of Arkansas, two years. Evan Jones, of Texas, one year. The committee on demands made 1 the following report on confederation with the Knights of Labor. Adopted: Report of Committee on Demands. St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 6, 1889. between the undersigned committee representing tne National Fanners' Alliance and Industrial Union on the one part, and the undersigned com mittee representing the Knights of Labor on the other part, Witnesseth: The undersigned committeejrepresent ing the Knights of Labor, having read the the demands of the National Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union which are embodied in this agreement, hereby endorse the same on behalf of the Knights of Labor, and for the purpose of giving practi cal effect to the demands herein set forth, the legislative committees of both organizations will act in concert before Congress for the purpose of securing the enactment of laws in harmony with the demands mutually agreed. And it is further agreed, in order to carry out these objects, we will support for office only such men as can be depended upon to enact these principles in statute law uninfluenced by party causes. The demands hereinbefore refered to are as follows: 1. Thai; we demand the abolition of national banks and the substitution of legal tender treasury notes in lieu of national bank notes, issued in sufficient volume to do the business of the coun try on a ca3h system; regulating the amount needed on a- per capita basis as the business interests of thecountry expat ds; an d that all money issued by the Government shall be legal tender in payment of all debts, both public and private. 2. That we demand that Congress shall pass such laws as shall effectually : prevent the dealing in futures of all -agricultural and mechanical produc- : tions; preserving a stringent system of procedure in trials as shall secure the prompt conviction, and imposing such penalties as shall secure the most perfect compliance with the law. 3 : That we demand the free and unlimited coinage of silver. 4. That we demand the passage of laws'prohibitingthe alien ownership of land, and that Congress take early steps to devise some plan to obtain all lands now owned by aliens and foreign syndicates; and that all lands now held by railroad and other corporations in excess of such as is actually used and needed by them, be reclaimed by the Government and held for actual settlers only. 5. Believing in the doctrine of " equal rights to all and special privi leges to acne," we demand that taxa tion, National or State, shall not be used to build up one interest or class at the expense of another. We believe that the money of the country should be kept as much as possible in the hands of the people, and hence we demand that all reve- continued on fcusth page. ' A 9 I
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Jan. 7, 1890, edition 1
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